Deborah Mattheus, PhD, APRN-Rx, CPNP, FAAN
Hawaii Keiki: Healthy & Ready to Learn
Phone: (808) 956-8426
Email: dmattheus@ucera.org or mattheus@hawaii.edu
Biography
Dr. Mattheus has more than 30 years of experience as a certified pediatric nurse practitioner and more than a decade of experience as a nursing educator. She is the Endowed Professor of School Health and serves as the Senior Practice Director for the Hawaii Keiki: Healthy and Ready to Learn Program which provides access to school nursing service in Hawaii public schools. Additionally, she directs the Hawaii Keiki Dental Program that provides school-based oral health assessments, education and dental sealants across the islands.
Dr. Mattheus was a recipient of the 2013 Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) Scholarship, Honolulu Chapter for her doctoral research study on the prevention of early childhood caries in primary care practice, served from 2020-2022 as the Hawaii State Oral Health Champion designated by Harvard University’s Center for Integration of Primary Care and Oral Health (CIPCOH). The Hawaii Keiki Program under her direction has received the designation as a 2023 American Academy of Nursing Edge Runner Award and 2024 Pacific Business News Fire Award for the program’s innovation, impact and sustainability.
Her research is focused on improving oral health outcomes for children and families, the benefits of nurse-run school-based health clinics, and the use of technology including telehealth equipment to improve access to care for underserved and rural communities in Hawaii.